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Analyst Predicts That Activision Will Close Infinity Ward

By now, we're all familiar with the losses Infinity Ward has suffered since the Activision fiasco and although the publisher remains confident, analysts are predicting the end of the development studio.

Earlier, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said IW could lose more than 20 individuals and Activision would simply replace the departed and continue on. But according to GameSpot, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey has a much darker view of the matter: he says the losses "have created meaningful uncertainty around the future of their Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise," and the studio itself could be in trouble. Hickey actually expects Activision to close down Infinity Ward once the next map pack add-on for MW2 is available, and that would mark the bitter end of a talented team. In regards to a third Modern Warfare, the analyst said that without IW, development would be split between two studios "not historically tied to the franchise." The game itself? Well, he doesn't think it'll be the huge hit MW2 was, although he does expect it to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2011 and ultimately bring in $738 million...a bit less than the $1 billion generated by MW2.  It's still a very large number, though.

But if Infinity Ward really does fold, that'll be a sad result of this whole debacle. Nobody likes to see great teams fall apart, after all.

4/28/2010 9:00:04 PM John Shepard

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Comments (27 posts)

Alienange
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 9:48:42 PM
Reply

If that prediction were to actually happen I can easily see Respawn and EA going on a hiring binge. IW the name might disappear, but all know where it's heart went.

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Kowhoho
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 9:50:39 PM
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I like to think of it as less of a death and more of a migration. Watch out for Respawn!

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CH1N00K
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 9:53:21 PM
Reply

that's how their going to release 3 titles in 2 years! Get rid of the guys who made it a success and let someone else ruin it, kind of like what zipper did with Socom when they let Slant 6 take a swing at it...

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Darthvintage
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 10:17:11 PM
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Reporter: Now i would like to congratulate the company's success with bad company 2, and we would love to see more from skate 3. I'd like to ask another question. The Companies long term competitor Activision has been involved with lawsuit issue's involving ex IW workers which have recently team up with EA to form Respawn Entertainment. What Do You have To Say About This.

EA Spokesperson: *Laughs Hysterically* No Comment =)

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LittleBigMidget
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 10:26:07 PM
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Think of all the PSN spam we'll get if this does happen. *receives PSN message* *Opens it* "Hello fellow PSN user. As you may know, Activision will be shutting down IW, forward this message to all of your friends to show Activision we mean business!"

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Highlander
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 11:04:17 PM
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Silly analysts....If IW closes and most of the talent leaves, simply plugging in kids from college, or other devs from other projects will not replace what the IW crew brought to the table.

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Zorigo
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 12:07:51 PM

Yeah but Activ don't care, they just wanna make games (thats plural by the way, lots of plural) and hype them up. not saying i wasn't hooked by MW2, but it was like heroin... Now im off it (MW2 that is) i can see how bad it was.

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BTNwarrior
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 11:12:36 PM
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I would actually welcome this, because now that IW is a hollow shell of what it used to be it would be best if they didn't tanish the games they had already made with some new crap

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Milonakis
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 11:31:06 PM
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OH NOES a studio that made a great FPS shooter is going under. I think we have enough other people covering that genre already.

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Hezzron
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 12:05:23 AM
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With the mass exodus from Activision, Infinity Ward's only employee left is probably the janitor. The next MW is going to be a big "wait and see". I'm certainly not optimistic at this point. I will be keeping a close eye on what Respawn does.

I'd love to see the math these analysts use to come up with a pretty specific figure like $738 million. What, no cents?

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faraga
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 12:27:46 AM
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They'll still repair OMA and commando... Right? If, not, I'll keep playing COD4.

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___________
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 2:45:43 AM
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i really cant see activision kissing away their best studio.
besides who would they give the COD series to? assuming IW does not win the license to it.
plus doing that, would be like admitting defeat and i really cant see them doing that.
their got way to much of a ego to admit defeat!

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tes37
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 3:01:54 AM
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Activision should close IW and fire Bobby Kotick, that'll leave them with enough resources to take their time and regroup. There's no sense in waiting until your company gets in a bind before acting.

If Activision would do to Bobby what he did to IW's heads and then issue a public apology to Respawn, they could undo a lot of the damage that's been done to their image. In my opinion anyway.

I've wanted to pick up Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 for a while now, but I don't want to give Activision the money. So I'm playing the waiting game on any games they release. Hopefully I outlast Bobby.

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fluffer nutter
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 4:00:21 AM

I've seen MUA2 go for $5. That could be one way to get the game without giving Activision too much.

I highly doubt that Bobby would be let go after this fiasco. Activision gets a lot more revenue from other gaming resources.

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tes37
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 4:33:24 AM

Yeah, if I can find it for $5 new I'll probably get it.

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Qubex
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 4:04:35 AM
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As mentioned somewhere above, we all know where the heart is... beating loudly and confidently at Respawn... I think they will eventually do a "Bad Company" type FPS, they will simply re-start their development cycle again with a nice new I.P. and re-create what they created with the MW series... probably much improved too.

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

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Darthvintage
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 6:21:49 AM

Ex IW workers Teaming up with DICE?

I Like Your Thinking

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Godslim
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 6:20:26 AM
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bit stupid really that all this has happened over money when mw2 sold so much.....but i wanna see iw make mw3 just to round up the story now but i also wanna see em do a new game like a bad company fps which is alot bigger with tanks and stuff

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LightShow
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 6:51:03 AM
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Everybody knows what went down at IW. anyone who cares knows that the dudes who made MW2 wont be making MW3. something tells me IW isnt worth keeping open at this point. theres hardly any of the command structure left.

and i say that knowing that activision only cares about names, not the substance behind them. they'll probably toss whats left of IW in with treyarch and call it IW-treyarch or something.

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JackC8
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 7:07:42 AM
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I think that once Respawn is up and running, all the IW employees who can't afford to go several weeks without a paycheck will perform a mass exodus. It's the same thing that would happen in any office if people were sent in to interrogate the employees until they were driven to tears. Un-freakin'-believable.

I'm sure Kotick is confidently assuring his investors that their customers are so damned dumb that they'll buy absolutely anything as long as the words "Call of Duty" are on the box. Why, he's got not one, not two, but THREE games with those words on the box scheduled for upcoming release! Happy times! Give that guy a 100 million dollar raise.

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kraygen
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 7:08:46 AM
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Sad to to see IW fold? Seems to me they've already folded, with the trail of people leaving, seems to me they have already lost the power players.

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Nynja
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 8:23:21 AM
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I can only believe that would happen IF Activision would retain rights of the Modern Warfare name. As far as I know, Activision has placed some of their gopher boys in charge of IW after Jason and Vince's departure.

My belief is that with Activision's bigwigs in the driver seat of Infinity Ward, they will take advantage of it. Come contract renewal time Activision will have IW sign a conctract that releases rights of Modern Warfare over to them - THEN - consider closing the studio. Of course if they close IW now and they do get ownership of Modern Warfare there's nothing to stop them from doing something that drastic aside from having the entire talented team migrate over to Respawn which would not be in their best interest.

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Nynja
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 8:36:51 AM

Just heard that CEO of Activision resigned!

http://www.examiner.com/x-12491-Dallas-PS3-Examiner~y2010m4d29-CEO-of-Activision-Publishing-decides-to-resign

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Bigtuna1
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 10:15:29 AM
Reply

Hey Ben, I know this is off topic but are you going to comment on the double xp and dlc for MAG this weekend. Just wandering because not many people seem to be aware of it. It's a great oppurtunity to Veteran and try out another faction without waiting so long to level up. Anyways have a pleasant day.

Edit (i apologize, i see you did mention the dlc but not the double xp.)
Last edited by Bigtuna1 on 4/29/2010 10:16:26 AM

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Zay_
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 5:00:52 PM
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heck yea Activision has been pissing me off. I think the whole IW team should just Respawn, lol but yep its all from firing 2 ppl 4 no reason they got what was comming.

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BikerSaint
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 9:21:13 PM
Reply

Quick Analysis: Halo developer Bungie's publishing deal with Activision

http://www.examiner.com/x-28759-Atlanta-Video-Game-News-Examiner~y2010m4d29-Halo-developer-Bungie-signs-publishing-deal-with-Activision

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BikerSaint
Thursday, April 29, 2010 @ 11:11:41 PM
Reply

Just a few thoughts on the Infinity Ward/Respawn vs Activision lawsuit

Activision=
A - Antigaming
C - Condescending
T - Tyrannical
I - I, as in me, there's no room for team here
V - Vicious, as in their contracts
I - I, it's all about "me" again
S - Sinister under-doings
I - I, as in once again, "me only"
O - Ominous
N - Negative, as in company to work for


Respawn=
R - Reborn
E - Eager, as in eager to get working again
S - Stick it, as in stick it to kotex
P - Prosper, as now they'll make wages again
A - AAA, making game choices & no interference
W - Winners, as in lawsuit against kotex
N - New, as in a brand new beginning

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